Teen arrested in Temecula slaying

TEMECULA - A murder charge was filed Friday against a Temecula
teen in connection with the shooting death of a man in a Temecula
apartment complex on Monday.

The 17-year-old, identified in court records as Damin Matthew
Monroy, appeared Friday afternoon at Southwest Justice Center in
French Valley to be arraigned on the murder count and allegations
he used a firearm.

Monroy is accused of shooting Henry Plascencia, 33, of Temecula,
in the parking lot of the Somerset Apartments on Stonewood Road
early Monday. Police received the call at 4:16 a.m. and Plascencia
was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital at 4:58 a.m., authorities
said.

In court Friday, Judge Michael Hider appointed the public
defender's office to represent the teen and his arraignment was
postponed until later this month, according to court records.

Monroy was arrested Wednesday and booked into juvenile hall,
said Ingrid Wyatt, spokeswoman for the Riverside County district
attorney's office.

Officials with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department were
unable to even confirm that Monroy had been arrested in connection
with the case and said they could provide no additional information
until Monday.

However, other sources close to the investigation said that
members of the sheriff's Central Homicide Unit developed leads that
identified Monroy as a possible suspect in the slaying.

On Wednesday, police received a call of a disturbance at a
Temecula home - a call unrelated to Monday's homicide - and, while
on the way there, officers became aware that Monroy was at that
residence, sources said.

Monroy was arrested and investigators later served search
warrants related to the homicide case, a source said.

No weapon was found during any searches, authorities said.

Monroy is being held in lieu of $1 million bail, according to
court records.